TCL Tab 10 Nxtpaper 5G

The $239.99 TCL Tab 10 Nxtpaper 5G distinguishes itself from other budget-minded tablets with a glare-free screen that's easy on the eyes. It also performs well, has a microSD card slot, and comes with a fast charger. That said, its display isn't particularly visible outdoors and TCL promises just one future Android OS upgrade. Those downsides mean it doesn't measure up to our Editors' Choice winner, the $269.99 Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+, which offers more power, a longer software support window, and comparable 5G performance for a similar price.

Design: Fairly Basic

Thanks to its rounded edges, the Tab 10 Nxtpaper looks like most other modern tablets. It doesn't match the fit and finish of more expensive models due to its primarily plastic construction, but it feels light and nicely balanced. By the numbers, the tablet measures 9.69 by 6.14 by 0.31 inches (HWD) and weighs around 1.06 pounds, making it similar in size to TCL's Tab 10 5G (9.51 by 6.24 by 0.33 inches, 1.08 pounds). The Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+ (10.12 by 6.64 by 0.27 inches, 1.06 pounds) is taller and wider but weighs the same.

(Credit: Iyaz Akhtar)

A matte LCD on the front is set within a frame that rises above the plastic casing. From the side, it gives a noticeably stepped appearance. An 8MP front-facing camera on the top edge above the screen stands out a bit due to its contrasting glossy finish. The tablet has a power button on the left, a volume rocker on the top, and a USB-C port and combined microSD/SIM slot on the right. Four speaker grilles are on the outer edges. You might inadvertently cover the speakers if you hold the tablet a certain way, but the design mostly prevents that.

(Credit: Iyaz Akhtar)

The back sports a fairly clean dark blue finish (the only color option available), with a TCL logo in the top left corner and an 8MP camera in the top right corner. The camera module protrudes significantly from the back, as does the actual lens from its housing. This is another design element that contributes to the tablet's budget looks.

(Credit: Iyaz Akhtar)

The tablet supports a face unlock feature, but it's not secure enough for authenticating payments. TCL doesn't include a fingerprint sensor. You'll need to use passwords or codes to secure most things.

As with many budget slates, the Tab 10 Nxtpaper lacks an IP rating against dust and water ingress. The older Tab 10 5G has an IP5X rating, but the IP68-rated Galaxy Tab S9 FE ($449.99) is the way to go if you need a durable tablet you can safely use at the beach or near your pool.

In addition to the tablet, TCL includes a fast charger, a USB-A-to-USB-C cable, and a SIM tool in the box.

Display: A Paper-Like Panel

The Tab 10 Nxtpaper features a 10.4-inch LCD with a resolution of 2,000 by 1,200 pixels, a peak brightness of 600 nits, and a refresh rate of 90Hz. The screen size slots in between that of the TCL Tab 10 (10.1 inches) and Galaxy Tab A9+ (11.0 inches), though both have a slightly lower resolution of 1,920 by 1,200 pixels.

What's most notable about the multi-layer screen is its nano-etched film finish that effectively eliminates glare and reflections. Any light that hits the display diffuses over the surface area, thus providing a matte appearance. If you're used to a glossy screen, you might need to give yourself some time to adjust.

(Credit: Iyaz Akhtar)

TCL provides three display options that you can change via the Settings or the Quick Settings in the Nxtpaper Zone: Color Paper, Ink Paper, and Regular Mode. Color Paper reduces saturation levels for a muted palette across the interface. Ink Paper mimics the look of an E Ink-based ereader; even areas that are typically white on an LCD appear slightly gray here. This mode uses custom minimalist icons for some apps and turns other shortcuts gray. Regular Mode shows saturated colors because it uses the Vivid color mode by default, though you can change that option in the settings. Be aware that changing from one mode to another takes a few seconds. An animation and sound let you know when the change begins and ends, and you can't use the device during the process.

(Credit: TCL/PCMag)

For testing, I looked at the comic book "Invincible" in the three modes. In Regular Mode, colors were vibrant, but gray areas had a pinkish hue that was most visible from off angles. It made for a slightly odd presentation since images looked as bright and crisp as they would in a glossy trade paperback, just without any shine. In Ink Paper, the comic appeared as if it was on a large black-and-white ebook reader. Navigating in this mode initially felt strange due to the slick animations and lack of ghosting; E Ink devices don't tend to perform as smoothly. Color Paper mode presented muted colors to the extent that some pastels appeared almost gray.

(Credit: Iyaz Akhtar)

For reference, the Ink Paper and Color Paper modes don't allow you to customize their saturation or sharpness. I would have also liked the option to tie an app to a particular setting, like using Ink Paper for an RSS reader or Regular Mode for Google Photos. These tweaks could improve the overall experience.

Watching videos in the various display modes was also slightly jarring due to their print-like appearance, though the image quality looked great. However, I did notice that areas within shadows or smoke appeared washed out from off angles.

(Credit: Iyaz Akhtar)

The Nxtvision settings panel, which is distinct from the Nxtpaper settings, can be somewhat confusing. Nxtvision contains TCL's image and video enhancement tools, but you can only make adjustments when in Regular Mode. I would prefer if all the display settings were in the same place.

Overall, indoor viewing angles for the Tab 10 Nxtpaper are good in any mode, though, again, dark areas can lose contrast at off angles. However, the screen is difficult to see outdoors at a brightness setting of less than 50%. The screen's 600 nits of brightness also means it struggles against sunlight even at 100%. Moreover, it takes on a somewhat hazy look.

(Credit: Iyaz Akhtar)

Performance: No Surprises

The Tab 10 Nxtpaper uses a MediaTek 8755 system on a chip (SoC), a tablet-optimized version of the MediaTek 6835 (part of the Dimensity 6100+ series). It comes with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage, which you can expand by up to 2TB via the microSD card slot. For comparison, the older Tab 10 5G comes with just 4GB of RAM and a paltry 32GB of storage. Meanwhile, the 5G version of the Galaxy Tab A9+ has 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage.

(Credit: Geekbench/GFXBench/PCMag)

Generally, browsing the web, launching apps, and switching between tasks on the tablet works quickly and seamlessly. On Geekbench 6, which quantifies raw computing power, the Tab 10 Nxtpaper scored 734 on the single-core test and 1,908 on the multi-core test. For comparison, the Galaxy Tab A9+ with its Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 chip performed slightly better, with results of 908 and 1,975 on the same tests.

On the PCMark Work 3.0 test, which evaluates general mobile tasks, the Tab 10 Nxtpaper reached 8,589, falling well short of the Galaxy Tab A9+ (10,243).

To evaluate gaming performance, I ran the GFXBench Aztec Ruins test at a resolution of 2,000 by 1,112 pixels. The Tab 10 Nxtpaper managed to push 9 frames per second (fps), while the Galaxy Tab A9+ hit 12fps at a slightly lower resolution of 1,920 by 1,180 pixels.

(Credit: Iyaz Akhtar)

Genshin Impact, a notoriously resource-intensive game, ran smoothly at default settings (lowest graphics setting, 30fps). However, I saw dropped frames and jerky animations at 60fps. Panning the in-game camera around also caused some slowdown. A 15-minute gaming session made the device slightly warm near the rear camera, but the temperature remained comfortable overall. Casual games like Alto's Odyssey ran flawlessly. One note: Nothing is stopping you from playing titles in the Ink Paper or Color Paper modes if you want a different feel to your game.

Battery Life: Fast Charging, But Could Be Longer

The Tab 10 Nxtpaper has a 6,000mAh battery and can charge other devices via USB-C. It supports 18W fast charging via the included wall charger. In our battery tests, in which we stream a 1080p video at full brightness, it lasted approximately 6 hours and 25 minutes. For comparison, the Galaxy Tab A9+ managed 7 hours, while the previous Tab 10 lasted for 10 hours and 22 minutes.

Recharging the tablet from 0 to 100% took about 2 hours and 40 minutes via the included adapter. A 15-minute session charged the battery to 16% from empty. After 30 minutes, it reached 31%.

Connectivity: Strong 5G Support

For connectivity, the Tab 10 Nxtpaper supports 5G (sub-6 including C-band, but not mmWave), Wi-Fi 5, and Bluetooth 5.3, but not NFC. As of this writing, the tablet is available exclusively from Verizon and is locked to that network. Though it may technically support 5G service from other carriers, you'd have to unlock it first.

The older Tab 10 5G offers the same 5G capabilities as the Tab 10 Nxtpaper, while the 5G variant of the Galaxy A9+ also connects to C-band networks with slightly different band support.

On Verizon's 5G network in New York City, the Tab 10 Nxtpaper reached speeds of 302Mbps down and 16.7Mbps up. When I connected it to a Wi-Fi 6 access point in my apartment, the tablet reached download speeds of 297Mbps and upload speeds of 16.7Mbps. For comparison, a Wi-Fi 6-equipped Google Pixel Tablet reached 504Mbps down and 17.1Mbps. Taking the tablet as far away from the access point as possible barely affected the performance, as it hit 256Mbps down and 15.2Mbps up. The Pixel Tablet fared much worse at the same distance, with a download speed of 113Mbps and an upload speed of 3.13Mbps.

The stereo speakers' audio quality is clear but lacks depth. When I tried playing Metallica's "Enter Sandman," I recorded a maximum volume of 85.7dB, which is lower than the Galaxy Tab A9+'s peak of 103.8 dB. Deep bass notes like those in The Knife's "Silent Shout" are difficult to hear on the speakers, so I suggest using a set of Bluetooth buds for better audio.

Cameras: Good for Still Images

The Tab 10 Nxtpaper features an 8MP rear camera and an 8MP front-facing camera, both with a maximum aperture of f/2. The camera app is fairly basic. It includes options to take photos, videos, panoramic shots, and stop motion; no portrait mode is available.

Generally, images show good detail and color, though the tablet sometimes overexposes the sky on a sunny day. The sample image below is indicative of the image quality. Photos look fine overall, though shadowy areas can appear grainy or devoid of detail.

(Credit: Iyaz Akhtar)

The 8MP selfie camera performs much like the rear camera. It captures detail well, but darker areas can blend together.

(Credit: Iyaz Akhtar)

Both cameras can record video at up to 1080p at 30fps, though recordings look poor with blurry details by default. Turning off electronic image stabilization (EIS) results in much clearer captures, though the audio still has a lot of digital noise.

Software: Android 14 With a Few Extras

The Tab 10 Nxtpaper ships with Android 14. It will get one OS update and two years of security patches. This short support window is still the norm for low-cost Android tablets, though Samsung offers five years of OS and security updates for the Galaxy Tab A9+.

TCL's customized version of Android goes beyond the display settings. For instance, icons and quick settings are more rounded than typical. TCL also lets you keep a third floating app open in split-screen multitasking modes. I found this last capability especially useful for productivity.

(Credit: TCL/PCMag)

Three Verizon apps also help you access your account, cloud storage, and an internet security app. After I activated the SIM, the Verizon App Manager downloaded eight more apps automatically, including Apple Music, Audible, and Disney+. I didn't approve these downloads, but I am glad that I can uninstall them easily.

Verdict: An Affordable Slate With a Novel Screen

We applaud TCL for trying something different with its budget-friendly Tab 10 Nxtpaper tablet and largely enjoy its versatile, E Ink-like screen. Moreover, we're fans of its competitive performance, 5G connectivity, and genuinely useful software enhancements. That said, the tablet's middling battery life and limited software upgrade commitment give us pause. The 5G-capable Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+ offers a larger screen, better software support, and superior battery life for just slightly more money, so it remains our Editors' Choice winner for affordable Android tablets.